Great fun from Goliath.
Month: December 2025
Guardian Cryptic crossword No 29,874 by Harpo
Harpo is today's inquisitor in the Guardian.
Inquisitor 1936: Advent Calendar by Phi
Phi, the setter with the most Inquisitors to their name, and only three others also have over 50: the late Schadenfreude, Kruger and Ifor.
Financial Times 18234 Mudd
Thank you to Mudd. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Independent 12221 / Mog
Mog is an Independent setter whose puzzles appear about once a month.
Guardian Cryptic crossword No 29,873 by Alia
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29873.
Financial Times 18,233 by SLORMGORM
SLORMGORM kicks off the week…
Guardian 29,872 / Qaos
A nice surprise to find a Qaos puzzle to blog on a Monday, so soon after his recent return.
Independent 12,220 by Brunel
Brunel starts the week off in the Independent
Financial Times 18,232 by Julius
Puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 6, 2025
Guardian Quiptic 1,359/Pasquale
Pasquale is always careful and thoughtful with his offerings for the Quiptic spot.
Financial Times Sunday 122 – World by Gozo
A characteristically fun geographically themed puzzle from Gozo. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
Independent on Sunday 1,867 by Filbert
Filbert in the customary Sunday slot
Gemelo No. 17 – plain
A plain puzzle from Gemelo.
Everyman 4,128
Since Everyman is in general so Ximenean I’m surprised that he allows the grid to contain two entries with less than 50% checking. But they’re long ones and perhaps it’s not really that important. The crossword as a whole was mostly very satisfactory, with the usual characteristics, which are highlighted in the grid, until I came to a little group (described below) where I found it hard to finish. I have done, but hope I’ll be told how these clues really work, for I’m not convinced.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, containment, anagram, juxtaposition, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.